Not doubling down, just on advice from the engineers that direct starts have no real issues, especially on the B model. It measures all the temps etc and manages the start appropriately. The advice is almost universal for all turbines that motoring starts are a little better for the hot sections as you are increasing air flow through the whole system for longer. As for cold starts especially on batteries the direct start may be the only way you are going anywhere if you are not careful with power management. I do find it funny that most Aussie pilots are ****e scared of direct starts when its designed for it. I suppose at least with motoring starts you are watching the sequence more vigilantly so there is that.
Yes, the engineers sometimes do direct starts. I don’t know, but I’m assuming that during maintenance a direct start must be periodically demonstrated/tested as it’s the inflight restart method.
From what the engineers say its their standard start method.
BTW I do think it was the A model issue had too rich fuel mixtures on occasion where the direct start had fuel input, uneven combustion, and led to some torching. The motoring leans out the mixture so better combustion at the point of ignition, smoother flow of gases, no torching if its done properly. The A model fuel injectors were also modified for a few reasons, one was inflight relight characteristics and so on, so its probably not as much an issue now either. The B model does not have this issue at all as far as I'm aware so it is a hangover procedure that remained in the AOM as far as I'm aware.